Wednesday was the first day back at school for my kids and I wanted to have a special after school treat to share with them while talking about all the activities of the day. It just so happened that I had an overgrown zucchini from the garden that would be more suited for baking than for using in an evening meal. Zucchini bread was the obvious choice, but I wanted something different. Trying to get children to eat a veggie like zucchini can sometimes be a challenge, so I took into consideration that Mabelle, my youngest daughter, firmly believes that chocolate is a food group. (That's my girl☺.) With a quick internet search, I landed on a recipe that I knew I could work with. Not only did the end result bake up beautifully with a high dome (don't be afraid to fill your muffin wells to the top), but the taste and texture are outstanding.
The bulk of the taste and texture comes from melted dark chocolate and zucchini. Both contain antioxidants and vitamins. Healthy, right?? Well, I even took it a step further and substituted half of the oil called for in the original recipe with 0% fat Greek yogurt. Even healthier! I used just a touch of cinnamon for a subtle spice and added espresso powder for a deeper chocolate flavor. And for the double chocolate... I folded a good cupful of chocolate chips into the batter. Now we're talking.
The recipe makes for an odd number of muffins (15 standard) but trust me, you will want those few extra muffins to nibble on. You can even bake the extra batter in small ramekins or a mini loaf pan.
When Mabelle came home from school that day, her eyes widened with excitement when she saw the counter full of chocolate muffins. "Ooh are those chocolate muffins for me?" I sat her at the counter and poured her a glass of milk. First bite-- "Mmm, chocolate." Second bite-- "Oh, yummy." Third bite and right after this picture was taken-- "Um, Mommy? What's this green thing?!" I couldn't lie. I let her in on the secret ingredient. Her response-- "That's o.k. because these are really good chocolate muffins!" Kid tested... mother approved☺.
